Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A touch-sensitive device comprising: a first visible light transparent substrate having a touch-interface surface and a display-interface surface, the touch-interface surface disposed toward touch input, and the display interface disposed toward the output of a liquid crystal or organic light emitting diode display; a second visible light transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface and also having a touch sensing area comprised of an electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in the second visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductors with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers; wherein the first surface of the second visible light transparent substrate is disposed toward the display-interface surface of the first visible light transparent substrate; and wherein the first visible light transparent substrate includes a light scattering feature comprising randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets having a size greater than the width of the conductors, that reduces the visibility of the micropattern.
2. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.
3. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a linear polarizer.
4. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a circular polarizer.
5. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.
6. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the scattering elements comprise bumps.
7. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising: within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers and the touch sensing area is visible light transparent and has between 90% and 99.95% open area; and one or more micropattern-obscuring features in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern.
8. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.
9. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a linear polarizer.
10. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a circular polarizer.
11. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.
12. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises one or more light scattering elements.
13. The touch screen sensor of claim 12 , wherein the scattering elements comprise randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets.
14. The touch screen sensor of claim 12 , wherein the facets have a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.
15. The touch screen sensor of claim 12 , wherein the scattering elements comprises bumps.
16. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the micropattern obscuring feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.
17. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.
18. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the electrically conductive micropattern is a touch sensitive electrically conductive micropattern.
19. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising: within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 10 micrometers; and one or more micropattern-obscuring features, at least one of the features comprising one or more light scattering elements in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern, and wherein the light scattering elements comprise facets having a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.
20. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.
21. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein one of the features comprises a polarizer.
22. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein one of the features comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.
23. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.
24. A touch-sensitive device comprising: a first visible light transparent substrate having a touch-interface surface and a display-interface surface, the touch-interface surface disposed toward touch input, and the display interface disposed toward the output of a liquid crystal or organic light emitting diode display; a second visible light transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface and also having a touch sensing area comprised of an electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in the second visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductors with width between about 1 and 5 micrometers; wherein the first surface of the second visible light transparent substrate is disposed toward the display-interface surface of the first visible light transparent substrate; and wherein the first visible light transparent substrate includes a light scattering feature comprising randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets having a size greater than the width of the conductors, that reduces the visibility of the micropattern.
25. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.
26. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a linear polarizer.
27. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a circular polarizer.
28. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.
29. The touch-sensitive device of claim 1 , wherein the scattering elements comprise bumps.
30. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising: within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 5 micrometers and the touch sensing area is visible light transparent and has between 90% and 99.95% open area; and one or more micropattern-obscuring features in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern.
31. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.
32. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a linear polarizer.
33. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a circular polarizer.
34. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises a contrast filter having light transmission of between 40% and 90%.
35. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the micropattern-obscuring features comprises one or more light scattering elements.
36. The touch screen sensor of claim 12 , wherein the scattering elements comprise randomly or pseudo-randomly oriented facets.
37. The touch screen sensor of claim 12 , wherein the facets have a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.
38. The touch screen sensor of claim 12 , wherein the scattering elements comprises bumps.
39. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the micropattern obscuring feature comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.
40. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.
41. The touch screen sensor of claim 7 , wherein the electrically conductive micropattern is a touch sensitive electrically conductive micropattern.
42. A touch screen sensor having a touch-sensitive surface comprising: within a touch sensing area, a electrically conductive micropattern disposed on or in a visible light transparent substrate, wherein the micropattern includes conductive traces with width between about 1 and 5 micrometers; and one or more micropattern-obscuring features, at least one of the features comprising one or more light scattering elements in a continuous layer of uniform optical density disposed between the micropattern and the touch-sensitive surface, to reduce the visibility of the micropattern, and wherein the light scattering elements comprise facets having a size greater than the width of the conductive traces.
43. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein the micropattern-obscuring features are within a substrate other than the visible light transparent substrate.
44. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein one of the features comprises a polarizer.
45. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein one of the features comprises an anti-glare or matte finish.
46. The touch screen sensor of claim 19 , wherein the micropattern comprises pseudo-random variations in the micropattern.
Unknown
October 9, 2012
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